Process for making yarn articles



' 06L 5, 1948. s E L 2,450,695

PROCESS FOR MAKING YARN ARTICLES Filed Sept. 4. 1945 /4 .9

- INVENTORS A n he 6; eferz l/a/mer M. La'z'ho Patented Oct. 5, 194a UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE i PROCESS FOR MAKING YARN ARTICLES Anne Siefert, Chicago, and J almer M. Laiho, Skokie, Ill.

. Application September 4, 1945, Serial No. 614,120

' 2 Claims; (01.112-262) central longitudinal axis of the cylinder, except at the ends where they normally assume positions so that they form substantially hemispherical ends for the cylinder.

It is another object of the invention to provide a simple means for forming such a cylinder which will also enable a number of them to be joined together in a simple manner to form a toy-like assembly.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the detailed description contained in the specification and drawings.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination as set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the form with yarn wound thereon.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the form and yarn shown in Fig. 1.

'Fig. 3 is a view showing the relative positions of several forms of varying sizes as they ar joined together.

Fig. 4 shows a front view of a toy cat made principally of units as illustrated in Fig. l and as shown for assembly in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a side view of the toy cat.

Fig. 6 is a diagrmmatic top plan view of the cat for illustrating more completely the manner of assembly.

A U-shaped form shown generally at 8, Fig. 1, is provided with two arms 9 and H (see also Fig. 2) separated by a slot 12 and connected together by a yoke portion I3. Arms 9 and II have outer edges I4 and l5.respectively and theirpunjoined ends are provided with retaining heels SE and Il respectively. A plurality of layers of yarn N are wound around arms 9 and II in the space intervening between heels I6, I! and abutments l 9 and 2t on the yoke portion IS. The yarn on both sides of the form 8 is sewed or stitched together securely at 22, which is in line with the center of slot l2. The edges i4 and Hot arms 9 and H are provided with longitudinal grooves 23 and 2t respectively. A sharp cutting edge 25, for example a razor blade, can be drawn along grooves 23 and 24 thereby cutting every single turn of yarn l8 at each edge of the form 8. This results in a series of short pieces of yarn of approximately the same length as the width of form 8, all of which are tied together by the stitching 22. When the yarn was wound on the form it was naturally under a. certain amount of tension, and upon 7 cutting by the edge 25, this tension and that resulting by the tight stitching 22, causes the freed ends of yarn to assume radial positions ex tending outward from the stitching 22 and in planes at right angles to the stitching. The bound together yarn then assumes a generally cylindrical shape as it is removed from form 8 by pulling the stitching 22 lengthwise out of slot l2. The yarn near the ends of stitchirigZZ has more free space around it and therefore assumes positions resulting in a generally hemispherical shape at each end of the cylinder.

A plurality of such generally cylindrical shaped yarn assemblies of various desired diameters and lengths can be attached together by sewing the stitching 22 of one to that of another so as to create various desired kinds of shapes that can be conceived.

In the present instance an imitation cat is built up as will be explained. A body portion 26, Fig. 3, is wound on a form 21, and the stitching 22 is done just as was described wit eference to Fig. 1. Similarly, two front leg portions 28 and 23 are wound on identical forms 3| and 32 (latter not shown), and after the stitching is done they are held in the position shown in Fig. 3, each on alternate sides of the body portion 29 and are attached thereto at point 33 by sewing. A head portion 34 is wound oniorm 35 and after. the usual stitching 22is done, the endof the stitching at the open end of the slot in form 35 is attached also at point 33 by sewing to the body portion 25. A tail portion 36 is wound on form 31 and after stitching similar to 22 it is held on either side of form 21 in the position shown in Fig. 3 and the tail 35 is attached to the body 26 at point 38 by sewing. Two identical hindleg portions 39 and 4| are wound on identical forms 42 and after stitching are held on alternate sides of the body portion 26 and attached at a point fl3'by sewing. Up to this point the various yarn portions 0 the imitation cat have remained wound on their respective forms but have been joined together as indicated and shown in Fig. 3. The two hind leg portions 39 and 4| arenow cut loose from their respective forms by using the sharp cutting edge 25 in the same Way as was described in connection with Fig. 1. Each hind leg form is then removed by drawing toward the left from the position shown in Fig. 3. The yarn of the hind legs now assumes its generally cylindrical shape, one end of which is attached to the'body portion 26 at a point 53 as was explained. The

hind legs are then bent or bowed as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 6/ and the free ends 44 of as to hold the legs in the most suitable proximity to the body portion 26 after the body portion is cut away from its form 21. After the hind legs have been attached to the body portion, the head portion 34 is next cut away from its form 35 by using the sharp cutting edge 25 in the manner previously described. The form s is withdrawn by pulling it to the upper right from the position shown in Fig. 3. The yarn of head 34 assumes the generally cylindrical shape and. then it is bent or bowed, as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 6, so that the point 45 at the free end of the stitching (see Fig. 3) is also joined to the body Portion 26 at the point 33 by sewing. The headportion before bending is shorter than the body portion, but after bending it assumes the shape shown in the front and side views of Figs. ,4 and 5,. The front leg portions 28 and 29 can be cut away from their forms BI and 32 and the forms then withdrawn y P g them downwa dly and o the right from the position shown in Fig. 3. Next the body portion and the tail portion 35 ar cut away from their forms 21 and .3! respeptiyely by using the. cutting edge 25 These forms are then withdrawn by pulling them to the left from the positions in which they are sho in ig. 3. The order in which the front. legs, body and tail portions are cut from their forms, and the forms removed, is immaterial and it can be done in any order desired. The front legs 28 can be made to .a pear to clutch a ball by taking the point at the free ends of the stitching of each front leg and sewing them firmly to a ball 41 which, for example, may be wound from yarn.

To iinishthe imitation cat, a mouth can be simulatcd by taking two strands of yarn to (pink for example). and attachin them at points 69 and .51 to the stitching 22 at thecenter of the head portion 34. Whiskers can. be simulated by takings. plurality of strands 52 of coarse thread or the, like (black for example) and attaching it at points .49- and 5| to the stitching 22 at the center. of the head portion .35. Two eyes 53 can-be provided by crocheting roundish knobs of yarn (black for example) and sewing them onto the. stitchin at th cent r o th h ad portion 35 th positions s wnin Fi Two e s 5:! and-5. c n e made by cr ch i s som what triangular shapes from yarn (preferably of same color ashead, body and legs), and attaching these shapes by sewing at suitable positions, see Fig. 4, to th stitchin 22 t the c nt of t h ad o tion A o h r su bl material besid a can be used to provide the eyes and ears above referred to. Several strands oi yarn of some contrasting color can be looped around the "neck of the imitation eat, such strand-s being hidden from view by the yarn, of the body and head p rtions, and then tied into a how 56 which shows at the back of the neck.

Having thus described our invention, it is obvious that various immaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of the inven ion; hence we do not wish to be understood as limiting ourselves to the exact form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described or uses mentioned.

We claim-:

'1. The process for making yarn articles, for example toy cats. wherein the various body members are substantially cylindrical shaped assemblies of yarn threads having the individual strands "bound together along a central longitudinal axis of the cylinder and from which axis the two ends of each individual strand extend radially to terminate at the surface of said cylinder, which comprises talging a, winding form for each body member and each form having two similar parallel arms joined at one end by a suitable yoke and having a space between said arms, winding a, plurality of layers of turns of yarn so that each turn goes around both of said arms, stitching all of said layers of turns of yarn on one side of said arms to all of said layers of turns of yarn on the other side of said arms along a line running through the center of the space between said arms, providing each of the two parallel arms of the form with a longitudinal groove located on the edges of said arms which are farthest from the space between said arms, attaching the wound winding forms for the various body members to the other appropriate body member winding forms by sewing one end of the line of stitching on each'woundform to the desired point along the line of stitching on any of the other wound forms, running a sharp cutting edge along the grooves in the arms of each winding form whereby to sever each turn of yarn where it passes over said groove, removing each form from theyarn by pulling the arms longitudinally away from the line of stitching within said space, whereupon the yarn of the various body members will assume generally cylindrical shapes, bending any desired body member to sew the free end of the line of stitching thereof to the line of stitching within a desired other body member, and attaching accessory trimming parts to any desired body members by sewing them to the line of stitching within said body members.

2. The process for making yarn articles, which comprises taking a U-shaped form having two similar substantially parallel arms which are joined together at one end by a yoke portion, winding a plurality of layers of turns of yarn so that each tur goes around both of said arms, stitching all of said layers of turns of yarn to each other on a, line running through the center of the space between said arms, taking other similar forms which arewound with yarn and stitched and sewing the stitching of each to one or more points on the stitching of the others in some preconceived arrangement, severing each of the turns of yarn by cutting along the outer edges of the two arms of each form thereby to form cylindrical shapes of tufted yarn which are joined together, removing each of the forms regardless of the degree of complication of the arrangement by pulling them longitudinally from the stitching so the tuftedyarn passes out between the open ends of the arms of the form, and finally joining any other desired points on the lines of stitching M or attaching accessory trimmings by sewing to the lines of stitching of the tufted yarn.

' ANNE SIEFERT.

JALMER, M. LAII-IO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

